Prospective Airbus suppliers now have online tool, registration starting point

MOBILE, Alabama – Existing and aspiring aerospace suppliers now have one more thing for which to be grateful this Thanksgiving: a direct line to Airbus and its $600 million final assembly plant in Mobile.

Airbus Americas Chairman Allan McArtor said Nov. 16, the company could easily boost its current monthly production from 42 to 50 aircraft once the European planemaker’s U.S. supply chain is cultivated and expanded. In turn, the Mobile assembly plant is slated to begin production in 2015 and deliver its first A320 family aircraft in 2016, and McArtor said existing and potential suppliers within what he called a “support radius” of Airbus’ 117-acre site at Brookley Aeroplex are “perfectly positioned” to become part of that supply chain.

But where exactly should a company interested in doing business with Airbus start?

Registration is currently taking place on the company’s website by clicking on the “Airbus for Suppliers” tab. Once there, two options exist.

Suppliers interested in becoming part of the global Airbus aircraft production supply chain must register through the Airbus/EADS sourcing tool. To date, more than 1,500 primary contractors in more than 30 countries deliver components, parts, systems and hardware for Airbus products.

Then, suppliers specifically interested in participating in Airbus' Final Assembly Line Mobile project, can click here.

The Airbus/EADS Sourcing Tool allows you to describe your capabilities to Airbus buyers who could then contact you directly. Airbus/EADS Sourcing also allows buyers and suppliers to exchange requirements and proposals online during the bid process. For small and medium-sized companies, your best points of contact may be Airbus’ first- and second-tier suppliers.

To learn more about the procurement process and major suppliers, click here.

McArtor did request patience from any suppliers encountering difficulties with the online process between now and early spring because it’s “not quite user-friendly enough” as it pertains to the Mobile project. The company is working rapidly, however, to streamline the process and fine-tune both supplier registration and eventual job descriptions once the needed skill sets have been identified, he said.